A conventional bowling pin and ball handling apparatus is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,322. This type of apparatus has found widespread use in commercial bowling establishments and includes mechanisms for retrieving both pins and bowling balls from pits behind the bowling alleys, for separation of the pins and returning the balls to bowlers at the approach end of the alley.
Bowling balls leave the pits via openings or doors provided in kickbacks of the bowling alleys. Upon leaving a pit the ball moves into the range of operation of a bowling ball lifting an elevating mechanism, such as an endless belt and track combination which lifts the balls to a runway or return race. The runway is inclined so that the ball rolls down the incline toward the approach end of a lane where the ball is braked and lifted up to a level at which the bowler can conveniently reach it.
A conventional ball elevating mechanism includes a frame and an endless conveyor belt running between two pulleys mounted on a support member. The support member is itself supported by levers and can swing upwardly and away from the track to provide clearance between the belt and track in order to cause initial engagement of the ball by the conveyor belt once the ball has arrived in the vicinity of the belt and the belt is in a lifting position, kicker rollers are required to lift the ball into a position in which it may be engaged by the belt.
A more recent development in bowling ball lifting apparatus is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,582 of Edwards. As disclosed therein, a conveyor belt is driven by two pulleys mounted on a support rod which is itself pivotal about a rolling pivot in response to an eccentric cam arrangement. This eccentric cam arrangement moves the lower pulley away from the track in order to provide clearance to the ball and then moves the lower pulley toward the track so that the belt securely engages the ball and moves it up the track. An oscillating paddle is driven by a spherical cam arranged on a speed reduction pulley which also drives the eccentric cam arrangement so that the paddle and elevator mechanism moves in synchronism via a common drive. The apparatus disclosed by Edwards provides a relatively simple elevator belt tensioning mechanism, and uses a paddle drive clutch mechanism and ball elevator track of the previous development without requiring substantial modifications.
While the ball elevating mechanism disclosed in the aforementioned patents are shared by two alleys, a mechanism is necessary for preventing balls from moving through the openings from the pits simultaneously. The conventional ball handling apparatus uses a paddle which is pivotal between openings to permit only one ball at a time from entering the elevator and to prevent pins from entering.
In order to operate properly the ball handling mechanism should be arranged to compensate for balls having weights generally ranging from 6 to 16 lbs, while rejecting stray pins, which weigh less than 4 lbs. As a result the paddle drive and kicker rollers require pressure sensitive mechanisms each of which must fit into a space approximately the width of a bowling ball.
While such mechanisms have proven to be effective, the mechanisms involved are nevertheless relatively complicated and relatively slow in returning a ball to the bowler.
A more recent development in ball return systems is a horizontal ball return wherein a ball is fed to a conveyor belt which accelerates the ball and propels it down the alley i.e., down a ball return trough. In such systems the pins and balls are separated by a filter or a door. The door system which is typically horizontal, is susceptible however to frequent stoppages due to pins bypassing the door. In such systems a pin may trigger the door opening or follow a ball into or through the door, thereby interfering with the return system. Because of this problem there are frequent shut downs due to pin jams. Such shut downs obviate any benefits of a faster return mechanism.
It has now been found that a bowling ball return system in accordance with the present invention offers a number of advantages over the prior art. For example, the ball return system disclosed herein eliminates or greatly reduces pin jams which are caused by stray pins entering into the ball return mechanism. To be more specific, the ball return mechanism according to the present invention eliminates problems associated with a horizontal door being jammed by a pin. The mechanism also includes means for preventing the initiation of a cycle due to a flying pin striking any portion of the mechanism and until a bowling ball is in proper position for a return.
It has also been found that the mechanism in accordance with the present invention returns a bowling ball from the pit to the bowler in less time than the prior art returns. For this reason a bowler does not have as long to wait for the return of his ball. Consequently, the game is speeded up so that more games per hour are bowled. This also reduces waiting time for those bowlers who are waiting to bowl and at the same time increases a bowling center's return on investment.
It is presently believed that there is a large commercial market for bowling ball return mechanisms according to the present invention and that such mechanisms or systems can be manufactured and sold at a competitive price. In addition, the mechanisms are durable, relatively easy to install and service and can be used to replace existing ball return mechanisms of the ball elevating or horizontal type.